#MeToo has boosted demand for sexual harassment training

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Dive Brief:

The demand for sexual harassment training has soared since the #MeToo movement took hold, reports Bloomberg. Video production companies are busier than ever filling requests for training videos on sexual harassment following the scandals involving Harvey Weinstein and others.

Business for the video production company Traliant is up 150%, says Bloomberg. Navex Global, another production company, says requests for its sexual harassment training courses has increased business by 20%.

Training formats vary, but previously often depicted a female employee fending off unwanted sexual advances from a male superior, according to Bloomberg. The Society for Human Resource Management has warned, however, that producers must stay on top of issues to put out relevant materials. The organization says 32% of its members have changed the content and format of their sexual harassment training programs in the past year.

Dive Insight:

Training certainly needs to be relevant, but employers must back up training with policies and enforcement to curb this pervasive workplace problem.

Employers' failure to follow up on complaints (or, worse, cover up misconduct) has left victims reluctant to come forward. But with the #MeToo movement, companies are preparing for more individuals to come forward with complaints. And while the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it hasn't yet seen a surge in formal charges, a management-side attorney told attendees at a recent SHRM conference that employers are seeing an influx in demand letters.

That same attorney, Jonathan Segal of Duane Morris, previously told HR Dive that employers who want to make a change in workplace culture need to ensure their efforts are well-received at all levels of the company. You really need to address where the values spelled out in your policy intersect with your culture, he said. And, like any culture shift, this will require buy-in from upper management. “If leadership doesn't embrace it, policies and reporting procedures are no good,” Segal said.